Prior to 1849, the majority of poor persons in Summit County were cared for by the lowest bidder and often had to endure less than humane living conditions. In 1849, county commissioners purchased the McCune Farm at the corner of Medina and Portage Roads as a place of residence for the county's poor. Existing farm buildings were utilized along with several new structures until a larger infirmary building was erected on the south side of Exchange Street in 1865. Infirmary residents made bricks for this structure, which cost about $20,000. An addition was made to this building in 1875 and other buildings were erected in 1880 and 1887. The Summit County Infirmary sold the Infirmary and grounds to Philip H. Schneider in 1916 and moved to Munroe Falls in 1919.
A drawing based on this image appears on page 1,088 of Samuel Lane's Fifty Years and over of Akron and Summit County.